Envelope-feeding attachment for typewriting machines



T. CLAUS ENVELOPE FEEDING ATTACHMENT FOR TYPEWRITING MACHINES FiledMarch 17, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 31 van oz l'lwodor Claus F b, l0, 1925.1,525,720

T. CLAUS ENVELOPE FEEDING ATTACHMENT FOR TYPEWRITING MACHINES FiledMarch 17, 1924 3 Shees-Sheet 2 T/wodor' CZLZLL 5% I 3&1,

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z Z {a Patented Feb. 10, 1925.

UNlTEIl STATES PATENT, OFFICE.

THEODOB CLAUS, or LANGENI-IORN, GERMANY, essrsnon T moan vonx, n. Y.

ABELrOF NEW ENVELOPE-FEEDING ATTACHMENT FOR TYPEWRITING MACHINES.

Improvements in Envelo v -Feeding Attach mcnts for Typewriting achines,of which the following is a specification.

()ne object of this invention is the. provision of an attachment whichcan be so an ranged in combination with a typewriting machine as to bebodily movable with the carriage thereof, and which manipulation of thetypewriter platen. feed envelopes, post cards or other article or sheetsof material to receive impressions one at a time, from a stack or bundleof same. thus rendering it unnecessary to manually insert each articlein the typewriter. and re sulting in the saving of a great amount oftime when it is necessary or desirable to address a large number ofarticles.

Another object of the invention is to provide a feeding device'which isreadily attached to all standard makes of twpewriters,

I and is quickly put in or out of. operation. without interfering withthe use of the typewriter in ordinary service.

A still further ob'ect is vice of this character in which the feedingroll thereof is driven from the platen of the typewriter so that thetypist needs merely to rotate the platen in the usual manner to effeetthe feed of one envelope or the like at a time to the platen, xherebeing a hopper for the envelopes andguiding means where by the lowermostenvelope of a stack of same is fed each time.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the invention. in the severalfigures of which like parts are similarly designated. Figure 1 is afront elevation of a. typewriter with the feeding attachment connectedthereto. the typewriter being shown in broken lines. Fig. 2 is a sideelevation thereof. Fig. 3; isa section taken on line 3-3 of Fig ure 1.Figs. 4 and 5 are detail views of the envelope guide frame and theremovable drive clamp respectively. Figs. 6 and 7 are views similar toFigs. 2 and l respectively, but showing the devices supported upon andcarried by the typewriter carriage.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 10 designatesthe typewriter earriage, provided with the platen 11 and the paper will.by the to provide a (le Application filed March 17, 1924. Serial No.-700,129.

snidel2. Sockets 13 formed on arms 14 an engaging a rod 13' carried bystands 13" may be used to support the hopper 15 and its associatedmechanism free of the typewriting machine, or, as shown in .Figs. 6 and,7 the attachment may be supported directly upon the carriage 10 bymeans'of arms 14=I Thehopper includes the side plates 16 held improperspaced relation by means of the front plate 17 and the rear guide plate18.'while journaled in the plates transversely of the hopper is a shaft19 carrying p-aper feeding rollers or wheels 20, preferably providedwith rubber tires for bands. These rollers may be rigid with the shaftor they may be adjustably attached thereto. in order to rotate the shaft19 simultaneously with the rotation of the platen. a' flexible shaft 20is provided having one end fast to the shaft and its other end carryinga. connector or clamp 21 which may he removably attached to one of theoperating finger wheels 22 of the platen, so that as the platen isoperated by the other finger wheel 23. the

flexible shaft will transmit motion to the shaft 19 and consequently tothe feed rollers 20. By employing the clamp 21, the flexible shaft maybe attached or detached at will.

The front plate 17 is adjustably mounted to the side plates 16 by meansof the screw and slot connections 24 and the two adjusting thumb screws25, the" rims 25 of same being fitted in openings 26 in the plate. Bythis means the lower edge of the plate 17 may be moved to or from thefeeding rollers'to vary the space for permitting the envelopes or otherarticles to pass between the lower edge of the plate and the rollers,and according to the thickness of the articles to be. fed.

Also carried by the plate 17 are two or more guide fingers 26 whichparallel the paper guide of the carriage and insure the delivery of theenvelope or other article in proper relation to the platen. Y

The rear guide plate 18 has attached thereto and projecting rearwardlytherefrom two parallel plates or strips 27 whose upturned rear ends 28are slotted to receive the presser rods 29, acted upon by the weight 30to weight the envelopes or the like and insure proper pressure of thelowermost one upon the feed rollers, and laterally adjustable andproperly attached to the strips 27 are L-shaped envelope guides 31. Eachof these guides 31 is provided with a slot 32 for the reception of ascrew 33, whereby the guides may be moved toward or away from each otherand locked or clamped in proper position to accommodate envelopes or thelike such a manner that it will be bodily carried by the carriage andmove with it during the writing operation. By means of the drive clamp21 on the flexible shaft 20 the feeding shaft 19 of the attachment isquickly attached to and detached from the left finger wheel of theplaten, leaving the right one free for manipulating the platen andthrough it the feed rollers 0f the attachment. The hopper is made of asutlicient size to accommodate a bundle or package of envelopes, cards.or the like of from 50 to and one envelope at a time is deliveredautomatically to the platen as the platen is rotated, either as theaddressed envelope is removed or after its removal.

lVhat I claim is 1. In an envelope feeding attachment for typewritingmachines, a unitary structure comprising a hopper adapted to receive aplurality of enlvelopes or the like in position to be fed to the platenof a typewriting machine, rotatable means for feeding said envelopes,flexible means for driving said feeding means, and a detachableconnector for coupling said driving means to said platen and foruncoupling it therefrom at the will of the operator.

2. In an envelope feeding attachment for typcwriting machines, a unitarystructure comprising a hopper adapted to receive a plurality ofenvelopes or the like in position to be fed to the platen of atypcwriting machine, rotatable means arranged in said hopper for feedingsaid envelopes, flexible means for driving said feeding means, and adetachable clamp arranged for engagement with the finger wheel of theplaten for connecting said driving n'ieans to and disconnecting it fromsaid platen at the will of the operator.

3. In an envelope. feeding attachment for typewriting machines. a hopperhaving a discharge opening and arranged to receive a plurality ofenvelopes or the like articles in stacked relation in position to be fedto the platen of a typewriting machine. a shaft journaled in said hopperand carrying a feed roller arranged in said discharge opening with whichthe lowermost article of the stack or plurality contacts, a front onsaid hopper arranged in cooperative relation to said roller to prohibitfeeding of more than one article from said hopper at a time, and meansincluding a clamp for detachable connection with said platenforimparting rotation to said shaft.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

THEODOR CLAUS.

